5 Ways Government Agencies Can Benefit From Social Media

Social media is everywhere these days. In its infancy, it was primarily for personal use to stay in touch with friends, but it didn't take long to evolve into something much bigger. Businesses soon realized the power of social and began incorporating it as a major part of their marketing strategies. Now, almost everyone is on social platforms and that includes government agencies. Here are a few of the reasons why all forms of government should go social.

1. Crisis Communication

There's really no faster way to get a message out than by posting to a social platform. This is vital for government when there is some sort of crisis that affects the community. People want to receive the message straight from the horse's mouth and there's no better way to do that than on social. A press conference can follow later, but when you want to get a message out now, posting on your platforms is the way to go.

However, for this strategy to work, government agencies must take the time to build engagement and build trust with community members before the crisis. Without an established audience, residents will turn to more trusted channels before they find your organization.

2. Public Engagement

There's nothing that drives citizens crazier than when they feel like they aren't being heard. When a government utilizes social platforms, it creates a dialogue that allows people to ask questions and receive answers. Proper management of a social site will involve listening and responding to those that post comments. It shows transparency and humanizes the government. It also allows the public to engage with each other on hot topics through the comments sections.

3. Provide Accurate Messaging

There's a lot of misinformation floating around out there, and if the government isn't involved in the conversation, people are susceptible to absorbing information that might be false or even dangerous. By posting direct and verified messages to your platform, you shut down the hearsay and false data that might be circulating in the social sphere. Few things irritate the public more than when they feel like the government is hiding behind closed doors and not communicating.

4. Testing Your Message

One of the best and fastest ways to see if your message will be well received by the public is to test it on social. You'll receive immediate data and feedback and will know in a very short time how the public perceives your message. It's a speedy and cost-free way to eliminate bad ideas and move forward with messages that resonate with the public. You can also utilize it to create polls and surveys.

5. Save Money

While social media isn’t free, it can be a lot less costly that more traditional advertising and community engagement programs. It can also save an organization money by reducing the impacts of misinformation. Supplementing your advertising and public relations communications can better leverage communications budgets, to maximize reach and reduce waste.

Social platforms are here to stay and have become ubiquitous to the point where if you aren't utilizing them, you're already behind in the game. Contact C2 Communications, LLC today to see how we can help take your social strategy to the next level.